Monday, November 6, 2017

You never heard an Arminian prayer!

You never heard an Arminian prayer!

(Charles Spurgeon, "Free Will, A Slave")

You have heard a great many Arminian sermons, I dare say; but you never heard an Arminian prayer--for the saints in prayer appear as one in word and mind. An Arminian on his knees, would pray desperately like a Calvinist. He cannot pray about free-will--there is no room for it. Imagine him praying:

"Lord, I thank you I am not like those poor presumptuous Calvinists. Lord, I was born with a glorious free-will; I was born with power by which I can turn to you of myself. I have improved my grace. If everybody had done the same with their grace that I have--then they might all have been saved. Lord, I know You do not make us willing, if we are not willing ourselves. You give grace to everybody; some do not improve it, but I do. There are many who will go to Hell as much bought with the blood of Christ as I was; they had as much of the Holy Spirit given to them; they had as good a chance, and were as much blessed as I am. It was not Your grace that made us to differ; I know it did a great deal--stillI turned the point! I made use of what was given to me, and others did not--that is the difference between me and them."

That is a prayer for the devil--for nobody else would offer such a prayer as that!